6 Unwritten Rules For Posting Content On Reddit [Opinion]

Every society and/or community has their own unwritten rules of proper etiquette, courtesy, and communication. Granted, I’m not going to say every set of rules is perfect, but I will say that they do exist. As a matter of fact, the social sharing site Reddit has its own set of said rules (in addition to its official rules that do exist).

Today, I’ve got only six of the billion unwritten rules that exist on Reddit, and trust me, I’m doing you a favor if you don’t frequent the site very often. Take them with a grain of salt, because some of them are pretty ridiculous. Just know that I don’t make the rules. I don’t enforce them either. I just write about them.

Don’t Repost. Ever.

Alas, the battle wages on over reposts on Reddit, and a major portion of the population seems to utterly ignore the site’s official stance on the issue – don’t complain about it. However, the unwritten Reddiquette states that no one should repost. Also, heaven help you if you repost something that was posted on the same day (even if it was unintentional).

Truth be told, coming from my point of view, whining about reposts is pretty silly. Lots of people come to the site daily, and not everyone sees everything. Also, I’ve seen multiple analogies as to why reposts are wrong – I just simply don’t care.

Avoid Posting Self-Created Content

It’s true. Do you have a blog post you wrote? A video you made? Don’t post it on Reddit. Only post stuff you didn’t make. Actually, do post it on Reddit. Sometimes the really good stuff do very well, but it’s like any TV talent show. The criticism is going to be harsh.

There is an alternative to posting your own content without saying it’s your own content, though. You could do something along the lines of, “Check out my brother’s blog? The kid hardly has any views” or “Will you look at the video my sister and her band made?” This will totally work.

The Exception To The Above Rule Is Cat-Related Content

Well… about that avoiding posting self-created content rule. Pictures of cats are okay. It’s totally fine to post cats – especially your cats. Cats sitting in awkward containers…cats freaking out…cats half asleep….cats mauling your neighbor’s wife. Really. All of these are totally fine to post on Reddit, and it actually helps to state that it is your cat. What makes it even better is if you post it on your Reddit birthday (the anniversary of the day you joined Reddit).

Another exception to the rule is pictures of cool stuff you made or did. I know that this is a really fine line, but trust me, you can tell the difference when you see it. Actually, ignore the rule altogether – just expect to be chastised at first.

Usernames Must Be Included

Got a picture of something really cool you did (that totally contradicts what I said about posting self-created content)? You best be holding up a piece of paper with yo’ username on it and the date. I don’t care if the picture is of you waterskiing on an elephant’s back – this picture is moot if you aren’t balancing things out and holding up that piece of paper. Imagine all the lost karma…

Reddit is a bitter child who has been lied to too many times. This the only way to prove that you’re legit.

Backstories Are Not Optional

Speaking of posting those kinds of pictures, you really should provide a backstory as to why you were on the elephant’s back. Reddit loves context, and when it doesn’t get any, it becomes like a sixteen-year-old girl whose boyfriend broke up with her for some vague reason (that likely included his “hot neighbor” despite what he says.)

Basically, a nice quip about what you were doing the day you took the picture would be nice. Else, you look like one of those people that just likes to post funny pictures (which inherently you are).

There Is Only One Opinion That Matters On Reddit – Reddit’s

The final unwritten rule you need to know about Reddit is quite simple. You may have your own concepts, ideas, and opinions, but in the end, there’s only one that will matter to Reddit, and that’s Reddit’s opinion. It’s a hive-mind mentality at times, and often, it changes just like the flavor-of-the-month. Some days, Reddit might agree with you, and others, it might not.

However, despite what other initial opinions you may have had prior to being on Reddit, you may find yourself actually challenging them if you’ve been logged on for a while. It’s crazy, man. Crazy.

Conclusion

There we have it, ladies and gents – six rules to make your Reddit travels a little bit safer. It’s a wasteland of old and new content, each creator trying to make it to the top, and you should just be aware of the laws of the land. Granted, I wish it were a little bit different.

What other unwritten rules do you know about on Reddit? Do you agree or disagree with the ones here?

Dan

J. Lockhart

Chris Hoffman

March 16, 2012

Yup, not posting self-created content seems like a good rule. I had a blog post I wrote elsewhere go viral and hit the front page of Reddit a few weeks ago — I didn’t have to submit it, someone else did.

If you have good content, someone else will probably submit it. Of course, there’s an element of lightning striking there too…

Joshua Lockhart

March 19, 2012

I didn’t reply to you. My apologies.

Yep, I believe that’s the trick – having someone else do it. The problem that tends to happen is some folks may not have redditors see their material (which is good). What else can they do? Getting your stuff out there is easy, but having people take the time to look at it is tough.

Also, congrats on hitting the front page. That is definitely an accomplishment.